Judson Claiborne 'We Have Not Doors You Need Not Keys'

La Societe Expeditionnaire

Judson Claiborne 'We Have Not Doors You Need Not Keys'

We Have Not Doors You Need Not Keys is Judson Claiborne's excellent third album, it’s their second to be released by the eclectic La Société Expéditionnaire label, this time in partnership with In Store Recordings.

Fronting the Chicago outfit is Christopher Salveter, who began writing the album after a year of intensive yoga studies. He noticed parallels between the philosophies and practice of yoga, art, and music. Salveter became intrigued by the idea that we do more communicating with our physical selves than with language; that the texture and tonality of our voices and the movements of bodies are often more expressive than written or spoken language. In presenting We Have Not Doors..., the title itself speaks to letting our collective guard down in order to communicate.

Always seeking further inspiration, Salveter studied bottles of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, Kirlian photography, histories of human sexuality, Hawaiian meditation cults, innovations in service animals, humanitarian work stories from Haiti, the strange movements of cats, and the story of a bank robber who lived in a treehouse.

The album was recorded and mixed by Tim Iseler, who has been at the helm of all three Judson Claiborne LPs. Guest musicians include Marketa Irglova of the Swell Season, Angela James, and members of Early Day Miners, Low Skies and Darts & Arrows.

Focusing their always interesting Americana and Indie-Folk arrangements into a fully realized rock outfit, We Have Not Doors You Need Not Keys is Judson Claiborne at a their finest creative cadence.

The band’s sound at times finds itself descending from the nineties Low Rock lineage of Mark Sandman and Morphine while weaving layers of The Cure’s Disintegration era string synths and Daniel Lanois-esque atmospheric steel guitar. More contemporary comparisons to the band could be The Besnard Lakes, The Cave Singers, Father John Misty, The Heartless Bastards, and Cass McCombs.

Of Blessed Feathers’ 2012 EP Peaceful Beast in an Ocean of Weeds, PopMatters’ Matthew Fiander wrote that the Wisconsin duo’s “hazy sounds can still be awfully substantial”. That description definitely applies to the group’s new full-length Order of the Arrow, as the ascendant melodies conjured up by Donivan Berube and Jacquelyn Beaupre are anchored by pithy folk structures.

There’s an organic feel to the whole affair that comes through in the resonant, rootsy boy-girl vocals and the earthy percussion. Working with Real Estate and Widowspeak producer Kevin McMahon and Sharon Van Etten guitarist Doug Keith on Order of the Arrow, Blessed Feathers’ intimate vibe opens up just enough, covering more ground than you might expect.X

1.Ahbinreedis (Free) 2. Speaking Portuguese 3. Wide World ~4. Real Song For Emily 5. Salvation Army 6.Pickin' Strawberries 7. Leedo Creedo 8. Pinecones & Children's Gold 9. Hey! Mother Nature 10. From The End Of August Till the Start of May 11. Everyone I Love Is You

Monster Vision is Columboid’s sophomore full length, the second LP recorded for eclectic label La Societe Expeditionnaire. The Brooklyn band’s brooding 2010 debut, We Were One, was met with with accolades and comparisons to early Nick Cave / Joy Division. With Monster Vision, they elaborate on their trademark sound of short dirty minimalist keys, but steeped in maturity and driven down darker roads. Ryan Hamilton (vocals, keys, guitar, synth-sax) and Russell Higbee (bass) have conjored the spooky and meandering stylings of their earlier work in Coyote (Birdman Records). Mainstay drummer Neil Benjamin (drums, vocals) continues to provide signature throbbing beats while keyboardist Julie Noyce rounds out the record, tracked and produced by Mike Kutchman (of Bad Animal fame) at Kutch 1 in Brooklyn. Hamilton becomes the pied-piper of far-outness with the addition the most shamefully under-used instrument in independent rock: the synth-sax. It’s a vehicle from which he pays homage to Jazz heavyweight Tommy Hamilton, and yes, the title says it all: “Dad’s Gonna Be Proud”. For their 2013 Monster Vision live lineup, Hamilton and Benjamin opt for a trio, joined by Patrick “Perm” Brady, a Myrtle Beach, SC native who shares the Columboidian passion for strangeness. They now have two self-recorded cassette Ep’s and two full-length studio albums to their credit, a US tour, and a slew of Doors and Kate Bush (True) comparisons to go with them.

Triumvirate is the highly anticipated third full length from Lewis & Clarke. It's an album of seasoned confidence and meditative song-craft with a vision of clarity and conviction; a seventy-five minute journey through lush and brooding passages nestled in a canopy of strings, melancholic melodies and warm, world-weary beauty. Complex, fragile arrangements mix with unexpected but natural elements to create a tapestry of intricate yet strong compositions. Lyrically rich and musically gorgeous, Triumvirate is well worth the wait.

Lewis & Clarke is the musical alias of Pennsylvania-based artist Lou Rogai, the voice and vision resonating through the long form art-pop / avant-folk compositions that have become a signature sound. For close to a decade, Lewis & Clarke has steadily and quietly built a devout following by releasing several acclaimed recordings while skirting mainstream currents. Rogai's slow-burning process is as much of a mission statement as an authentic stance in a corporate age. He makes music as an antidote, an unaffected experience.

The moniker itself references the fellowship and correspondence between C. S. Lewis and Arthur C. Clarke rather than the 19th century explorers. In the same way, Lewis & Clarke songs tend to shift depth of field and mood as unexpected layers of sound and lyrics unfold. Rogai has a strong history of collaboration; he's credited as producer / arranger / multi-instrumentalist on Leave Ruin, the debut LP by Strand of Oaks, as well as having contributed to the Two Suns album by Bat For Lashes. Most recently, Rogai scored The Wreck, the short which premiered at Cannes 2014 directed by Kevin Haus.

Haus also directed A Map of A Maze, a 13 minute short film depicting the inspirations and meditations of Triumvirate. Triumvirate takes its title from the political term for the classic power struggle between three entities as well as a cliff face of the same name in Delaware Water Gap. "If you equate the act of climbing a mountain as solving a puzzle, the album name is also a metaphor for solving a moving puzzle and moving forward".

Listening to demos of the record, though, one gets the sense that the true triumvirate Rogai is exploring is one within himself; the outward-facing philosopher, the introspective songwriter, and the old soul whose oneness with the natural world can't help but permeate his work.